Last year I thrilled at how I was able to have a normal-ish routine through this writing….then I absolutely lost all sense of routine. Still and all, I’m glad to look back on the year that was and the fates of our favorite 11 sides on the planet.
Final Standings
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Rosenborg BK–b
36
11
17
1.86
2.23
1.2
Minnesota–b
28
8
15
1.80
1.84
1.27
Freiburg–b
26
14
14
1.70
2.41
1.54
Punjab
12
6
7
1.68
1.52
1.36
Alebrijes–b
14
14
8
1.56
1.28
0.83
Vozdovac–b
14
9
12
1.46
1.03
1.14
Montana–b
7
7
6
1.40
1.25
0.85
Legon Cities
12
14
10
1.39
1.06
0.61
Grenoble Foot
21
10
22
1.35
1.25
1.19
Emelec–b
17
13
18
1.33
1.50
1.27
Ross County
13
9
21
1.12
1.12
1.46
Table Updated 12/31/22 b–Team is between seasons
None of our favorite teams won any hardware this year, but while no one hit the heights of last year, there was some impressive consistency up and down the table.
Rosenborg takes home this year’s sippy cup, built on a consistent run from both the men and the women. Minnesota came close to matching them, but the Loons couldn’t maintain their mid-summer surge leaving Aurora carrying the load for our local sides.
Freiburg and Punjab put together great runs as well, and the Griffins came away with the most heart breaking outcome of the year losing the German Cup on penalties to more of a money bag team. Punjab’s rotating managers and star players makes it a little hard to build consistency, but clearly they have a strategy that has worked well for them.
Alebrijes de Oaxaca had the greatest improvement from the last year, jumping half a point per game, while Montana had a disappointing turn dropping from dominant to merely good. Still with the Griz seeing tremendous showings from a lot of underclassmen, the future is bright again.
At the bottom of the table, Emelec had a great showing in the Copa Liertadores, but couldn’t keep the same form in Ecuador, meanwhile the ladies became the first team we follow to be relegated out of their division after a dismal campaign, Even so, they still out showed Ross County whose strong finish to the 2023 season has been washed away in an underwhelming fall.
Players of the Year
Coming back with another year of favorite players was again difficult, but we’re noticing that there are some players who are pretty much always on the team sheet. Hats off to Romario Caicedo, Hasret Kayici, and Jonah Attaquye for being in the starting line-up two years running, and welcome back Vincenzo Grifo.
Grifo’s former defensive teammate, Nico Schlotterback, also made the starters. Even though he moved to Dortmund during the summer, his showing with Freiburg left no doubt that he was deserving. The only other team to get multiple players in the starting XI, was Minnesota Aurora off their undefeated regular season with Mackenzie Langdock, and Sarah Fuller.
Antonio Portales’ captaincy and leadership of the vastly improved Alebrijes made him their first starter, and Sarah Kanutte Forness took the Julie Blakstad endowed chair in the midfield (I’m going to bring up Julie Blakstad once a year, so help me goodness).
And at the front of the attack, we put Casper Tengstedt, who led Rosenborg, despite only playing for them for half the year, and the golden boot winner in Scotland: Regan Charles Cook.
We also expanded our bench (if 9 subs is good enough for the World Cup, it’s good enough for us!). This helped us to find spots for every team in our list including Laliz Tenorio for las Electricas, and our favorite Haitian international: Sherly Jeudy. Allie Larsen reps the Grizzlies, while Milos Pantovic, and Kurtiss Guthrie get the nods for Vozdovac and Punjab. Minnesota United also contributed two members to the bench as Robin Lod and Dayne St. Clair had great years, but not quite great enough to take starting jobs from the others.
What’s Next
I can and will be more consistent in writing, and after the fun of having you boys contribute ideas and messages to the videos after matches, I want to plan on taking you to more games (Minnesota Aurora for sure, maybe we can find a plac eon our family vacation in Mexico.
Last year I also tried to set a standard of talking to reps from each team, but only got two done before the move consumed my life. We’ll try again this year.
Legon grabbed the lead in the first half as Michel Otou converted a penalty and Atte Youssifou got his first in the black and blue and orange (particularly impressive given the absolute blitz that this ball is on).
Minnesota 1 – 1 LA Galaxy
It took a very late equalizer from Robin Lod to save the day for the Loons who were on the verge of shuffling farther from playoff contention with their recent run of form. Increasingly the question is being asked: why do the Loons hire really expensive strikers when they don’t play and the Finnish midfielder scores the most goals?
Palmeiras 1 – 0 Emelec [M- Continental]
Again, it wasn’t much of a surprise to find that Palmeiras cruised to victory, they didn’t need much and it showed against Emelec.
Verdal 0 – 6 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Verdal plays in the 4th division of Norwegian soccer, so this would be a little like a major league baseball team like the Twins having a game against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. An upset was possible, but not likely. Fortunately some rarely seen players did well in their first action of the year: two claps for the two goals from Marius Broholm!
Freiburg 1 – 2 RB Leipzig [M–Cup Final!]
In what was an absolutely wrenching 2.5 hours of soccer to watch: Freiburg had the lead and seem to land fortunate break after fortunate break. And still, foreboding sense of impending doom could not be erased. Every Mark Flekken cover, every Nico Schlotterbeck save, every Rolland Sallai run into space, every ounce of it seemed tantalizing, and yet, doomed. At one point, my stomach in knots, Alex said to me: “I’m not worried. We always win.” My sweet summer child, nothing could be further from the truth. Freiburg didn’t do anything badly, but they were second best on the day.
Emelec 0 – 1 Universidad Catolica [M]
Emelec continues to struggle as they near the end of the league’s first stage. Being torn between domestic and continental competitions definitely does not help.
Quito FC 2 – 0 Emelec [F]
Half way through the season, las electricas are struggling to get any form of momentum together
Red Star Belgrade 3 – 1 Vozdovac
Nemanja Milojevic netted the last Red Dragon goal of the campaign to cap a solid 5th place showing for the boys from Stadion Mall. They might be frustrated to have wound up two points outside of European qualification, but facing the Duopoly of Belgrade in your last two games leaves absolutely no room for error….so let’s focus on the good and applaud the best season we’ve seen yet from the Red Dragons.
Avaldsnes 1 – 3 Rosenborg BK [F]
The Trolljenta aquitted themselves well on the road. Midfielder Emilie Bragstad continues to be the iron woman of the side, having played every moment of all 10 matches, and netting twice during this game to make the difference.
Bechem United 0 – 0 Legon Cities FC
Rather than recall this match, I just want to take a moment to shout out Pebbles Candies. A Ghanaian treat that would utterly crush peanut M&Ms in a head to head contest.
HamKam 1 – 1 Rosenborg [M]
An overloaded midfield helped to stymie HamKam for much of the day, but it didn’t do a heck of a lot for Rosenborg’s lackluster offense. The best bit of this is that American Samuel Rogers was the goal scorer, so WOOT for Americans in Trondheim.
Dallas 1 – 2 Minnesota United
The Loons grabbed all three points against an awfully talented Dallas team, courtesy of some stout defending and an absolutely blast from fullback DJ Taylor who also led the Loons in tackles and helped to hold off many Dallas attacks.
ASPTT Albi 0 – 2 Grenoble [F]
It was a fine way for les Grenobloises to end their season. Claudia Febre connected with Sherly Jeudy for the first goal. And a strong set of defensive substitutes shut down the opponent in the second half, and set up a late headed goal to put the win (and sixth place) on ice.
Emelec needed a win to advance to the next round of the Copa Libertadores, a win they were clearly banking on given their showings in recently league games. But boy did they ever get that result Tuesday night. Petrolero has struggled this year in Bolivia, and Emelec only compounded the pain with Alejandro Cabez and Sebastian Rodriguez each grabbing a pair of goals. The knockout rounds await, and fingers crossed, Emelec can make a run for it.
News & Notes
Aurora Dawning
It’s time for another team to debut on our page, this time it’s Minnesota Aurora, representing our state (and hopeful college kids across the mountain/midwest) in the USL-W. They’ll play their first match this week and we can’t wait to shout them out as they go along.
Last glimpse of Europe
Don’t worry, it’s not sinking into the sea or anything, but with most of the European leagues shutting down for the summer months, it seemed wise to look back on how teams fared in our competition.
Obviously, Freiburg has much to be proud of, in addition to a strong showing in the Cup final, they did qualify for the Europa League meaning they’ll have some fancy foreign affairs to handle next season. But they weren’t alone in contending for continental glory.
FK Vozdovac and Ross County were both able to keep themselves in the conversation for the old continent’s biggest competitions until the very end of the season. That may not seem like much, but given that we’ve spent the first two years of this blog worried about their survival, it was awfully nice.
Emelec will continue to look for glory in South America, but our other major club title to watch for is Rosenborg’s next crack at going for Champion’s League football at the end of August.
Player of the Week
There were plenty of big wins and noble defeats this last week. Amongst all the chatter, we want to take a moment for Emilie Bragstad, who has been invaluable to Rosenborg all year long.
That was not exactly a thrilling week. Outside of the Guyaquil derby, my fun day at home and Rosenborg’s Syttende Mai celebration, there was a whole lot of losing going on. It’s a bitter way for several teams to start their summer break, here’s hoping that Grenoble’s ladies and Freiburg can end their seasons with a win.
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Alebrijes de Oaxaca–b
10
5
3
1.94
1.3
0.7
Freiburg–b
15
8
7
1.77
2.1
1.5
Rosenborg
9
4
6
1.63
1.5
0.9
Legon Cities
8
5
5
1.61
1.3
0.7
Minnesota
6
2
5
1.54
1.2
1.0
Punjab–b
7
4
6
1.47
1.8
1.7
Emelec
8
7
8
1.35
1.6
1.4
FK Vozdovac–b
5
5
5
1.33
1.2
1.0
Ross County–b
6
5
8
1.21
1.1
1.4
Grenoble–b
9
4
13
1.19
1.1
1.4
University of Montana–b
—
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—
—
—
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Table Updated 5/18/22 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Wednesday, May 25th
Minnesota v. Union Omaha [M-Cup]
Rosenborg BK v. LSK Kvinner [F]
Thursday, May 26th
Rosenborg v. FK Haugesund [M]
Minnesota Aurora v. Green Bay Glory [F]
Friday, May 27th
Saturday, May 28th
Valerenga v. Rosenborg BK [F]
Legon Cities v. Bibiani Gold Stars
Minnesota v. NYCFC [M–and the first game I can actually attend in person]
Raise your hand if you’re surprised by that result…good news, I’m not writing some creepy blog that watches you through your camera so I have no idea if you raised your hand or not, but rest assured, it’s not at all surprising.
Barcelona SC 1 – 1 Emelec
This was a biggie. The stadium was the most crowded one I’ve seen for any of our highlights and the mood was tense. The biggest match in Guyaquil ended in shared points…but Barcelona and Emelec hate sharing as much as two brothers with a Paw Patrol brand squirt pack. This match was almost as testy with Emelec using a lot of physicality to hold off Barcelona’s attacks, and capitalizing on occasional miscues (as with Alexis Zapata’s goal).
Minnesota 2 – 1 Colorado [Cup]
In a game played over 18 hours (with a tornado warning in between), the Loons managed to pull off a solid win despite losing the lead and playing the last ten minutes without center back Brent Kallman. Credit goes to Emmanuel Reynoso who again proved that asking him to play the hero isn’t a bad strategy when he has his hero boots on.
Punjab FC 3 – 3 Neroca FC
It was hard to watch the Warriors squander a lead like they did…fortunately I didn’t find any clips of it so I didn’t have to watch it happen. Still, it’s a rough ending to what started out to be a promising campaign for Punjab. Clearly Kurtis Guthrie can’t do it all the same way Emmanuel Reynoso can (please don’t take that as a suggestion anyone)
Bayern Leverkusen 2 – 1 Freiburg [M]
While Freiburg started great guns this year they didn’t finish that way. Leverkusen showed their endurance all year and did it again by winning in stoppage time here. Still, no need to cry for Freiburg there’s still European competition next year and a trophy to play for next weekend.
Ross County 1 – 2 Dundee
From Fitba on Twitter
The Tangerines denied County any comfort of coming close to European soccer by beating them at home, and also throwing stuff on the field. (Granted it was an inflatable palm tree and beach ball…but who brings that stuff to a match? Other than Dundee people for some reason.)
Paris FC 2 -0 Grenoble [M]
A year ago, Grenoble and Paris were in a pitched battle for playoff survival. This year, Grenoble just gave them a game to warm up for the playoffs. Sigh…I still miss Jessy Bennet.
Nanas 2 – 0 Emelec [F]
Pleae don’t leave us Hasret!
Something may need to change for las Electricas. 1 point per match isn’t dreadful (they’re still solidly mid-table) but it seems like they’re being passed up by other sides
FC Koln 0 – 0 SC Freiburg [F]
Freiburg wrapped their women’s season too. There were great scorers emerging this year, here’s hoping they stay. (Looking at you Hasret!)
Seattle Sounders 3 – 1 Minnesota United
The Loons seem to turn in their worst performances in Seattle. Maybe because Seattle is the best team in North America, or maybe because the Loons are secretly 11 pumpkins who revert to gourd form when they get too close to Starbucks: come back to Caribou boys!!
Orense 2 – 0 Emelec
In a rarity los Bombillos never looked a threat in this one. Rarer still they were outclassed despite Orense being a significantly softer side. Perhaps thoughts of Palmeiras mid-week were overwhelming
Rosenborg 3 – 0 Sandefjord [M]
Stefano Holmquist Vecchia came thorugh big time for Rosenborg. The front of the troll’s attack hasn’t been awe inspiring this season, but abrace from Vecchia and some good interplay with Noah Holm up top was good enough to get Rosenborg their first win in 4 tries. (Not a bad way to kick off Syttende Mai/Norwegian Independence Day)
Vozdovac 0 – 3 Partizan Belgrade
Vozdovac definitely got the fuzzy lollipop from the schedule makers. Their last two matches come against Partizan and Red Star, the Serbian duopoly, and teams they have only scored two goals against in the 7 combined matches since the pandemic started. Worse, with European leagues expanding, Vozdovac is hitting the hardest stretch just before they had a spot clinched.
The newest team in our galaxy of stars took the field to begin practicing this week. Minnesota Aurora has started to prepare for the upcoming season. It won’t be long, but it should be fun, and in the end. That’s what matters.
Trophy Alert!
There’s a big opportunity awaiting Freiburg this weekend, but it’s one that most folks have written off. The DFB Pokal is one of the most prestigious and longest running tournaments in Europe, and Freiburg has looked good in the run up to the final. However, in the final they’ll meet RB Liepzig, the highly funded squad with several stars and a history of coming close. The season saw a pair of 1-1 draws with Phillip Leinhart and Nico Schlotterbeck stopping the Liepzig attack before it could get going. They’ll need to do it again on a bigger stage this weekend if they’re going to grab Freiburg’s first trophy as a top division team.
Self-Care
Entertainment!
The recent surge in COVID cases, and the vicious bout of cold I came down with did come with a small consolation: I was able to get a treat of a lunch with spicy Nashville Coop Chicken and watch two matches simultaneously! You didn’t get to…but I promise if there’s a point where I can get you a treat like this, I absolutely will.
Player of the Week
Maybe Norwegian Independence has me in a mood, maybe absolutely no one else distinguished themselves, but this week’s honors will go to Stefano Holmquist Vecchia. And I’m ok with that.
Standings Update
That was not exactly a thrilling week. Outside of the Guyaquil derby, my fun day at home and Rosenborg’s Syttende Mai celebration, there was a whole lot of losing going on. It’s a bitter way for several teams to start their summer break, here’s hoping that Grenoble’s ladies and Freiburg can end their seasons with a win.
Oaxaca started out their quest for the Liga Expansion cup with a thundering win away from home. They got all the offense they needed on a pair of first half throw-ins This is a far cry from the team that started out so sloppily in the fall. There’s real hope that some silverware awaits. [Narrator’s voice: it didn’t…]
Røa 0 – 3 Rosenborg [F]
The black and white attack of Rosenborg picked up right where it left off over the weekend. A pair of thundering strikes showed that the Trolljenta still know what they’re doing in their attack. This time some of the more familiar names spearheaded the charge with Sara Kanutte Fornes now spearheading the attack and Emilie Marie Joramo picking up the slack in the midfield.
FK Vozdovac 3 – 0 Napredak
It was a heckuva 9 minute stretch for the Red Dragons against Napredak. From the 21st to the 28th minute, Vozdovac notched up 3 goals, and mercifully held themselves back from adding a further whooping to Napredak.
Emelec 1 – 3 Palmeiras [Continental-M]
You’d be right to assume that Palmeiras, one of the rising powers of Brazilian club soccer would be the beast to beat in Emelec’s Copa Libertedores group. So the loss here isn’t terribly damning. After this result, a lot depended on the game at Venezuela’s Deportivo Tachira…see below.
Punjab FC 2 – 1 Rajasthan United
Punjab won…Kurtis Guthrie scored…this is not a coincidence. Guthrie even managed to do it entirely with his feet rather than relying on his supreme height advantage to get another headed goal. Despite the strong showing, Punjab remains six points back of Gokulam FC, despite Gokulam playing two fewer matches….still…Kurtis Guthrie gives hopes to all us gangly guys.
Independents Del Valle 3 – 1 Emelec [F]
Las Electricas are struggling to find some form. With just four points in five matches, they’re looking for something that can boost them back up towards their regular post-season competition, and soon!
Alebrijes 0 – 0 Cimarrones
And with that Alebrijes won the tie and moved on to…uh…wait a second…they didn’t? Wait…What?
Hearts 0 – 0 Ross County
As ever with goalless draws, I don’t have much to say. Given County’s recent form, it’s not surprising that they hung back to stop Hearts from scoring rather than venturing out for a goal of their own. It may be effective enough to get the Stags into European competition, but fun it is not.
Hoffenheim 3 – 4 Freiburg [M]
Meanwhile, decidedly farther along the “fun” spectrum, was Freiburg’s game against Hoffenheim, which ended in a rollicking 7 goal match. The Griffin’s attack was formidable with Rolland Sallai and Woo-Yeong Jeon scoring and Christian Gunter and Lucas Holer getting a goal and an assist a pop. There were still a few too many nervy moments for keeper Mark Flekken and a very tired back line. With two weeks to go and two big matches against fellow European contenders (Union Berlin and Beyern Leverkusen) on the docket, here’s hoping to defenders getting a rest.
Grenoble 1 – 1 Amiens
I’m glad to say that Jessy Bennet was man of the match. I’m less glad to stay that he still isn’t playing for Grenoble. But the shared points will leave most of Grenoble satisfied (see the note below). Despite having two starters come off within the first half hour, they remained resilient and got the goal they needed
Rosenborg BK 0 – 1 Lyn Football [F]
Strange but true, Rosenborg now has as many losses in this season as they had in the last two seasons combined. There are some big Blakstad boots to fill and some unfortunate injuries to limit Sarah Kanutte Fornes. But we have faith that the Trolljenta will take these setbacks and grow.
Legon Cities 2 – 0 Elmina Sharks
Following Legon Cities has been an exercise in expectations unmet. But Hans Kwofie’s surge of form notching another goal in this one has been heartening to see. As Jonah Attuquaye and Kwofie connect more and more easily, Legon looks to be laying the groundwork for a strong end of the campaign and start to the next.
TSC Backa Topola 1 – 1 Vozdovac
Again the Red Dragons needed a boost from a Milos to get the job done. This week it was Milos Pantovic who saved a point with a late goal against Backa Topola.
LAFC 2 – 0 Minnesota Utd
It was late, it was long, it was offensively frustrating to see many opportunities and now results. It was a typical trip to LA for Minnesota.
Churchill Brothers 2 – 1 Punjab FC
For the first time in a long time, Kurtis Guthrie scored but Punjab came away without any points. This is a disturbing trend that must be stopped as soon as possible. (Good thing the season ends soon anyway)
Deportiva Tachira 1 – 4 Emelec [Continental-M]
Los Bombillos delivered a tremendous result on the road in Venezuela. The win vaulted them into second place in their Copa Libertadores group, and may prove invaluable as Tachira is their closest rival for that second spot. Sebastian Rodriguez played the hero with a hat trick to seal the victory.
Grandma teaches Owen gegenpressing with a juicer metaphor
Your mom took a much deserved break this weekend with a trip down to San Diego to see her sister. Meanwhile you boys stuck it out in a cold and drizzly Minnesota with me and Grandma Bekka, who has invaluable insights of her own to offer each and every day: including why Tron is both an allegory for our dependence on technology, and just plain old cool. She also deeply appreciated your boys’ taste in movies as we treated her to granola snacks, Big Hero 6, and Into the Spiderverse. It was pretty great.
Explaining Oaxaca
I was sure it was a mistake. I knew the first leg score. I was watching the second leg tracker as I rocked Owen to sleep. Then I saw the final whistle and checked social media for a celebratory post: only to find the phrase “Termina el partido y nuestra participación en el #Clausura2022” or “The Game ends and so does our participation in [the league]”. I couldn’t figure it out. So…How does a team that won the spring season, and the first leg, and the two legs combined get eliminated from the Championship playoffs?
Well, by bringing along one more player than they were supposed to.
We can’t believe it either guys (Photo From D1SoftballNews.com)
By bringing one extra player senior player than they were allowed for the first leg against Cimarrones, Alebrijes saw their 3-1 win wiped out and turned into a 1-0 loss. With that result, the goalless draw gave Cimarrones all they needed to advance. Credit where it’s due, Alebrijes owned the mistake and took their consequence professionally. It’s certainly not how any of us would like their season to end but…it is what it is. And now, it’s on to proving the strength in the 2022-2023 Season.
Le Sigh..
Grenoble’s draw against Amiens wasn’t the stuff of legend, but it was almost enough. Vincent Hognon’s team provided enough defense resilience to stop Amiens from getting the win and the point was enough to put all the pressure on Rodez to win against top of the table Toulouse….but the dogs did it. So Grenoble will have their status as a Ligue 2 team depend entirely on their next two matches. A point from either the home game against Ajaccio or the road game in Paris will save them, but Quevilly and Rodez still have some fight in them.
Is there a word in German for Grateful yet Frustrated Goodbye?
*Other than Dankbar frustiert Auf Wiedersehn?*
Because that’s what we have to say to Nico Schlotterbeck, who was confirmed as signing with much bigger side Borussia Dortmund. It makes sense, and might help Nico make it to Qatar in December, but…sigh…we sure liked him in Freiburg (we better get another platinum blond defender to continue the Robin Koch, Nico Schlotterbeck trend)…hmmm…PlatinblondTschuss?
Player of the Week
This would be a lot easier if only one person would have a good game at a time. Do you tip the cap to Sebastian Rodriguez for the hattrick? Milos Pantovic for playing a vital role in two wins? Both would be deserving, but we’re going to give a final tip of the cap to the team leading our league at this point: Alebrijes de Oaxaca, specifically one of the team leaders, a sterling defender and a man who chipped in three goals throughout the season: Ernesto Reyes.
Standings Update
It’s a great time to be a fan, as all but one team has a winning record this year, and even they (Grenoble) are in fine form lately. I can’t remember the last time Vozdovac was this high on the standings…they must be carrying the mythical flying creature flag…sorry Oaxaca.
It sure looked like Punjab was going to take their first loss of the campaign, even with two goals pulled back for offside Aizawl had shown the better style throughout the match. But then came a late red card to Aizwal’s right back and suddenly the onslaught was back on. Within 60 seconds Kurtis Guthrie (yup, him again) and defender Bikash Yumnam pulled the team from the edge of defeat to the hallowed halls of victory with a little poke from a dangerous corner kick to do the lasting damage.
Freiburg 3 – 2 Wolfsburg [M]
Vincenzo Grifo led the charge out of the gate blasting two beauties in the first half. When Wolfsburg stormed back to equalize late on, Silver Fox Nico Schlotterbeck made the difference to keep Freiburg very much in the mix for non Munich/Dortmund honors with only eight matches left to play.
Grenoble 0 – 0 Rodez [M]
The good news, Grenoble has stopped shipping goals like they were square-jawed sci-fi dudes with good chemistry (…no…no takers on the slash fiction joke…? okay moving on). The bad news the offense has also dried up. They’ve scored four times in nine matches under Vincent Hognon. (That this is a marked improvement shows just how low they had fallen prior to Hognon’s arrival…but it may not be enough improvement to save them from the drop).
Great Olympics 1 – 0 Legon Cities
Sigh…just when you hope the Royals are on the cusp of something, they go and lay an egg again…
SC Freiburg 7 – 1 FC Carl Zeiss Jena [F]
Carl Zeiss Jena may be a the foot of the women’s Bundesliga, but they had the lead for a solid half an hour in Freiburg. Then the lady griffins took charge. Seven goals from six players in about forty minutes was a heck of a showing. It may not win any trophies, but I bet it felt darn good.
Vozdovac 1 – 1 FK Spartak Subotica
The Red Dragons split their points on top of the mall in Belgrade. Milos Pantovic struck a solid rebound back into the goal to give them a surprising lead. While the defense did a good job of forcing Spartak into some ugly shots, their befuddlement on a late long ball opened it up for Spartak to waltz it in and take a point.
Grenoble Foot 3 – 3 Montabaun [F]
Perhaps les hommes de Hognon could use a conversation with Grenoble’s women’s side. Three goals marks a high point in the league for the ladies of the alps, though to be fair one of them was one of the slowest rollers I’ve ever seen. Still, points are points, and I’m not one to complain (though I would love if more than one phone could get video of the game)
NY Red Bulls 0 – 1 Minnesota United [M]
It takes a bit of effort to go into New York and come away with one point, let alone all three. But that’s what the Loons managed against the Red Bulls over the weekend. It was in no small part due to Dayne St. Clair’s showing in goal. The keeper made 8 tremendous saves (including a ball don’t lie penalty save), and though statistics suggested he coulda/shoulda given up 4, he kept the score line clear to let the single volley strike from Luis Amarilla send Minnesota home happy.
Gualaceo SC 2 – 1 Emelec
While Romario Caicedo got a late consolation goal, Los bombillos struggled with newly promoted Gualaceo. A little boost to the new comers to best one of the best sides in all Ecuador last year, but hopefully not the beginning of a trend.
Punjab FC 1 – 2 Sreenidi Deccan
Punjab lost their unbeaten run against the Andhar Pradesh side and more specifically Nigerian striker, Louis Ogana. It likely didn’t help that Kurtiss Guthrie finally had an off night for the Northwestern side and the attack was thoroughly neutralized.
Pau 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Don’t look now but les Grenobloises have gone three whole matches without a loss! Even though Jordy Gaspar had ten sloppy minutes to get himself banned from the next week of matches, Brice Mableu held on to enough attacks to ensure that Yoric Ravet’s penalty salvaged a crucial three points for Les Alpines who moved above the drop…phew!
News & Notes
(Omitted due to time constraints–hey, I’m writer, editor, publisher…I do what I want!)
Player of the Week
There were some solid showings this week by teams who played more than once, but you can’t ignore the elephant in the room: Freiburg Frauen dominated their match this week. And while lots of people scored goals, I couldn’t keep my eyes off 19 year old Swiss midfielder Riola Xhemaili who managed some absolutely staggering assists and key passes to set up several of the goals (playing in a line with other powerhouses like Janina Minge and Hasret Kayici doesn’t hurt either.
There will come a point in your lives boys, when you seem doing something vital from 4:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night. When that time comes, remember that you are enough just as you are, and your blog about parenting and soccer can take a break…assuming there are still blogs…and soccer…and parenting…you get the idea.
Results
Cimarrones 0 – 1 Alebrijes
Mineros 4 – 2 Alebrijes
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Celaya
Alebrijes continued their strong form. But as the defense goes, so goes the whole team, the slip against Mineros was the first time the team dropped points after scoring twice, but confirms that they’ve only lost matches after they give up two or more. Andre Alcaraz continues to be a brick wall in front of the goal, and Miguel Vallejo has done a masterful job on free kicks
Emelec 4 – 0 CSD Macara [M]
Independente del Valle 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Emelec 2 – 2 Guyaquil City
Emelec’s return to action in Ecuador came with a trio of games against top opposition, and they didn’t disappoint. Sebastian Rodriguez has been huge so far, holding down a tight knit defense and scoring in the first two victories of the season while Alexis Zapata has shown up as a creative force for the attack. (As an added perk, rocking my Emelec jersey to school got multiple kids excited to talk about things…and then their learning!)
Hibernian 2 – 0 Ross County
Ross County 3 – 1 St. Johnstone
Motherwell 0 – 1 Ross County
Ross County 1 – 0 St. Mirren
The Staggies had an impressive showing over the last three weeks, so much so that suddenly, a team that seemed destined for demotion has hauled themselves up into the top half of the league. Again, Regan Charles Cook and Joseph Hungbo were huge for the Stags, while Alex Iacovitti and Jack Baldwin anchored a stellar showing by the back line.
Augsburg 1 – 2 Freiburg [M]
Freiburg 3 – 0 Hertha BSC [M]
Bochum 1 – 2 Freiburg [M-Cup]
RB Leipzig 1 – 1 Freiburg [M]
VfL Wolfsburg 4 – 1 SC Freiburg [F]
After a long lay off the ladies of Breigsau came back a bit rusty, but in their absence the men seem to have found a second win. Winning 3 of 4 and getting a vital draw with a fellow top six contender helps Freiburg stay close in the hunt for European places. Even better they are now just two steps away from the team’s first hardware in years with a spot in the semi-finals of DFB Pokal sealed against Hamburger SV. There were no shortage of strong performances, but we’d like to send a special tip of the cap to Nico Schlotterback’s defense and Rolland Salai’s role on the wing.
Nimes 3 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Nimes Metropole Garre 2 – 0 Grenoble Foot [F]
Grenoble 0 – 2 Toulouse [M]
Nancy 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Grenoble got one great win over the last three weeks. That is not a great record. But it did come with a fine showing from Brice Mableu back in goal with five saves and an assist. Now…can everybody in blue do that? (and can they do it against teams that aren’t sitting next to them on the bottom of the table?)
Vozdovac 0 – 0 Radniki Nis
FK Radnicki 1923 1 – 0 Vozdovac
Vozdovac 0 – 3 Red Star Belgrade
Mladost Lucani 2 – 4 Vozdovac
Let’s not dwell too long on the discouraging showings against Radnicki 1923 or the monsters of Red Star. A resilient draw against the better than most Radniki Nis team was nice, and the ability to show up and stick with a plan in Lucani was much appreciated. The Dragons didn’t have to do much to scorch the blue side’s defense, but the final goal by Marko Ivezic on a give and go with Stefan Hadjin was a beautiful bit of build up on a grey and dreary day.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Hearts of Oak
Real Tamale 1 – 1 Legon Cities
Legon’s been unbeaten in their last 5 matches (though they’ve only won two of those). It’s all the more impressive as recent top choice keeper: William Essu is just 19 years old and standing up to the best shots that can be offered by much more established sides. Every year, it feels like Legon grabs a great keeper from nowhere: and here we are again. Medaase pii William!
Punjab FC 2 – 2 Churchill Brothers
Kenkre 0 – 4 Punjab FC
There was no shortage of offense for Punjab as they resumed their I-League campaign. Kurtis Guthrie has towered over the competition both literally (he’s 6’2″ in a team of 5 footers) and figuratively, scoring four goals over two matches to create a dominant attack (their eight goals outpaces every other team). Despite the slip against Churchill (a long standing local power), there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic for Punjab as they go for glory.
A couple of draws don’t tell the whole story for Minnesota United. The team has looked surprisingly organized in midfield, going beyond Emmanuel Reynoso’s usual one man show. Hasani Dotson has been on point this year (after a less consistent 2021), and the team has been well organized from front to back even though the supposed offensive juggernaut has yet to click. (To be fair, Philadelphia and Nashville are two strong opponents).
News & Notes
Mr. Poopy Butt
President Poop Butt
That has become your boys’ go to insult of late, and while I’d really rather we not have it at all, if we’re going to use it it better be directed towards this snivelling, self-righteous schmuck. Vladmir Putin has such a hard time believing that his country can still be important without forcing others to obey him that he’s put millions of people at risk to soothe his own bruised sense of self. If you need a hug Vladmir, I’m happy to oblige, but if you want to keep hurting people, well you really are, in the words of Alex, “Vladmir Poo….p Butt!”
Most Systems Go
In the time we were away a few leagues returned into action: Serbia is back to finish their current season, with Vozdovac going from an outside shot at Europe to a much more realistic shot at relegation. Punjab FC restarted their season after the long COVID Delay (like a rain delay, but with more spike proteins). And Minnesota United sent out their attacking force and defensive suggestion to the new American season.
Only the Griz (still focusing on school thank you very much) and Rosenborg (almost wrapped up with the preseason) have yet to play.
Kurtis is Cruising
Player of the Week
Okay, there are several players to recognize after several weeks of dereliction of duty. So let’s acknowledge some of the biggest difference makers for three teams who had tremendous runs over the last few weeks. Miguel Vallejo has rejuvenated Alebrijes; Nico Schlotterback has been instrumental in keeping Freiburg near the top of Germany, and Kurtis Guthrie is a one man wrecking crew in the Indian league. So Miguel, Nico and Kurtis you are our three players of the week.
Standings Update
In their short time back, Emelec and Punjab have shot to the top of our standings, while Alebrijes Oaxaca is showing a strong third, and the next three sides are separated by only 4 hundredths points per game. Strangely, two teams have the same average points/goals for and goals against per game: Minnesota (which after two matches isn’t too surprising) and Freiburg (which after 13…is a bit)
Great day in the morning Oaxaca won a game without the need for late heroics. Just a very, very, very fortunate bounce on an otherwise irrelevant free kick. [Sorry fortunate bounces, you can’t win player of the week.]
Montana Grizzlies 1 – 0 Sacramento State Hornets
The Griz kicked off conference tournament play with a stout defensive effort. Camila Xu stood tall, the back line shut down the hornets and all it took was one quality ball for Charley Boone to play the hero and get her first goal in “like ten years”. The (admittedly, late) win took the Griz one step closer to a second title of the year (more on that in a bit)
The game-winner, from Larsen's foot to Stoeger's head to Boone's finish. And the Grizzlies are championship-bound! pic.twitter.com/Odgl4Qf0qt
Cukaricki continues to lead the “Best team not named Partizan/Red Star” competition, so a draw for the dragons feels like a solid showing. All the more because Milos Milosovic scored the equalizer as part of an organized second half comeback following a first half that saw the defense split open like pumpkin on Halloween and amid an utter downpour.
Emelec 2 – 0 Mushuc Runa [M]
Los bombillos came through again to keep up the pressure on Independuente del Valle with Alexis Zapata crushing a gorgeous goal to put them ahead, and Pedro Ortiz standing tall in goal to keep it that way. The top two teams will meet in two weeks with trophies likely on the line.
Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Freiburg [M]
To be honest, we knew that Freiberg’s and beaten the streak would end. We had plenty of reason to suspect it would happen here. And hey we were right.
Freiburg likely won’t be standing atop the league in May, but their effective showings against both Bayern and Dortmund suggests that Europe really is within reach.
Legon Cities 3 – 2 Real Tamale
For the first time in their current incarnation, Legon led the league! (On goal difference…for a couple hours…because most teams had yet to play twice) Still it was great to see Jonah Attuquaye’s penalty seal the deal (and Nathaniel Akwah’s free kick blast just because, well, it’s freaking awesome).
Erland Dahl Reitan set up both the opening goal, an invaluable second half equalizer, and some strong defensive squeezing as Rosenborg had surprising difficulty with relegation bound Brann.
Grenoble 1 – 0 Dunkerke [M]
Loïc Nestor remains an indefatigable Mr Grenoble. While many long term teammates have left, Loïc stays strong. While a dozen other players tried Dunkerke’s defense and blasted away at goal, Loic was the one who made the difference. In addition to shuttling back on the wing to stymie attacks and, in this case, streaking forward to score the match winner in stoppage time.
Kolbotn 1 – 2 Rosenborg [F]
After a few weeks in hiding Julie Blakstad struck back with a vengeance Sunday. She scored both goals in Rosenborg’s last road game this year. At times it seemed like Kolbotn’s defense was more of a help than any sterling offense, but we’ll take every win we can get
Nice 4 – 1 Grenoble Foot [F]
To put it mildly, this wasn’t Grenoble’s day. The match report from my preferred Grenoble soccer blog highlighted an assault on goal by players with first division experience. So the loss was very much sensed. Sherly Jeudy got another late goal (this one, very much a consolation)
Rangers 4 – 2 Ross County
The Stags weren’t terribly likely to get two wins in a row when they had to face reigning Scottish champs Rangers. Still Joseph Hungbo showed his class, Regan Charles Cook reaffirmed his, and Harry Paton got a solid assist as well.
Turbine Potsdam 2 – 1 SC Freiburg
Despite an opening goal from (who else) Hasret Kayicki, Freiburg’s Frauen couldn’t keep up with Potsdam and continued their inconsistent form.
The Griz were a little fortunate that Weber State knocked out hosts, regular season champs and the only big sky squad to Best them Northern Colorado. But that’s how tournaments go, you get some good luck and some bad.
The best luck for the team came on a couple of loose balls. Just like in the semi-finals Camilla Xu’s long ball worked well to set up an attack, and the quick overlap from Zoe Transtrum to Jaden Griggs did all the work.
Best of all you boys got to watch it together, and celebrate with one voice.
LA Galaxy 3 – 3 Minnesota United
It was a wild one in Southern California on Sunday night as the Loons managed to get a vital point to seal their spot in the MLS playoffs. Adrien Hunou and Robin Lod put the Loons in control early on, but the Galaxy made all the adjustments necessary to come back and take the lead. Luck was on the Loons’ side as an own goal gave them the last boost to keep a spot in the playoffs (and send both LA teams home for the winter)
Cancun FC 1 – 2 Alebrijes de Oaxaca
Alebrijes can head into the offseason with their heads held high, finishing with a pair of their best performances all season. Andre Alcaraz had to withstand a bevy of shots and did so with grace despite the back line giving him precious little cover. The goals had a flavor that had been lacking in the season that was with Miguel Vallejo’s free kick and Lizandro Echeverria’s excellent positioning doing the duty for the team’s goals. Getting 9 points off their last six matches, boosted Oaxaca’s final standings (but they still need a lot of help/losing from other teams) to avoid a wooden spoon award.
News & Notes
Boys 2 – 0 Uncle Simon
At Owen’s birthday party you guys dominated your Uncle Simon, pelting him with leaves every chance you got. Well played to both of you. And still he and Auntie E got you a very noisy, very fun, combination soccer goal and basketball hoop…so you may have beaten him, but be still gets the better of me.
Tournament Time Again
The NCAA tournament is one of the most magical times of the year, and to have two in one year is extra fun. This time, the Griz won’t be jetting across the country to face one of the toughest teams in the country, they’ll just head over the Rockies. The Griz get another power conference team in the Washington State Cougars, one that’s in the top 20 in the country. But the Griz have also notched their highest winning total in 20 years, why not repeat that 20 year cycle with a repeat win in the tournament (a win that came, conveniently enough, against Washington State).
Another International Weekend
Teams around the world are inching ever closer to the final rounds of World Cup qualification. This week should see the end of group play in Africa and Europe, with several teams inking their spots in Qatar next year, and several more heading back to the drawing board. We’ll be keeping an extra close eye on players plying their trade for country and perhaps if Nico Schlotterbeck and Christian Gunter can become part of a German team that’s already punched their ticket for the biggest stage of them all.
Player of the Week
Having already heaped the praise on Camilla Xu, lets make a little room for Erland Dahl Reitan. Who not only supported the attack this week but has been a vital component in one of Norway’s best defenses all year. (Sloppy results this last week not withstanding, Reitan deserves a bit of recognition here.
Standings Update
It is officially academic. Even if both Rosenborg sides win all of their games and the Griz crash out in Pullman, Washington, the Griz have enough points to hold on to the top spot in our league. We’ll bestow the trophy officially in a few weeks, but it’s all over now but the crying. Speaking of crying, Alebrijes’ hopes for avoiding the bottom of our league officially rest on a further collapse by Ross County now that their 2021 is wrapped up.
The Oaxacans continue to struggle to catch anything remotely resembling a break. Even after another Julio Cesar Cruz equalizer and a Lizandro Echeverria goal to take the lead, they couldn’t hold on. In 360 minutes this season, they’ve lead for 18 of them (5% of the season). Clearly there’s still work to be done in the back.
FC Minsk 1 – 2 Rosenborg [F-Europe]
Rosenborg got to host playoff games en route to the Women’s Champion’s League and they kicked off with a big win over FC Minsk (courtesy of your favorite tandem and mine: Julie Blakstad and Lisa-Marie Utland)
Rennes 2 – 0 Rosenborg [M-Europe]
It’s not terribly surprising that Rosenborg struggled against a team from the top tier of French football. And needing two or more goals at home is something they can manage…if they’re on point. (Sidebar: Baptiste Santamaria made his Rennes debut after leaving Freiburg last week…so, the revolving door of Rennes and our favorite teams remains).
Creighton Bluejays 2 – 1 Montana Grizzlies
The Griz had an adventure getting to Omaha (good thing they’re elite athletes, it made running across Denver Airport a little easier), but once there they gave the bigger program all the could handle. Caitlin Rogers put in an iron woman shift on the back line (going all 108 minutes), and Montana’s own Josie Windaur got her first career goal in the garnet and silver, but in the end the Griz fell on a late winner from Creighton. Still a positive start for the team looking to punch above expectations for the Big Sky Conference.
Nikola Vujnovic kept up his strong form with another goal on a stellar little run. Better still, the Dragons’ defense delivered their first clean sheet of the season.
Freiburg 2 – 1 Dortmund [M]
One of the German giants came to Breisgau and left disappointed. Freiburg got ahead early (thanks Vincenzo) and didn’t let up (that second goal…wowza…Roland Sallai did just about everything). But after epic victories, it’s important not just to talk about the goals that won it, but also the defense that made it possible. So kudos to the defensive core of Phillip Leinhart, Nico Schlotterback, and Christian Gunter for stopping a star studded offense.
Grenoble 2 – 0 Quevilly [M]
The sun lifted les grenoblois off the bottom of the table, and for the first time in forever, everybody seemed to be on point. Mableu, Nestor and Monfray held down the back while Yoric Ravet lead the line with both a goal and an assist. Plus Charles Pickel did his best Jessy Bennet. (It was so convincing that right after the game he got to leave Grenoble!)
Minnesota United 0 – 0 Sporting KC
I was very excited to watch this game with you boys. Covid’s return meant I couldn’t take you. Technology issues meant we missed the first 15 minutes. 10 minutes later you decided you wanted a snack and then forgot about the game to go play in the backyard.
We made the right choice.
Stats suggest the Loons should have scored three goals, instead they got zero. The inability to put the biscuit in the basket is starting to drive even the most loyal fans up a wall…
Levante 4 – 3 Rosenborg [F-Europe]
Rosenborg wasn’t able to launch themselves into the group stages of the women’s champion’s league despite home field advantage as Levante prevailed in an epic encounter. The Troll Jenter were chasing the game for the much of the match and this might be the first time we’ve ever seen Kristine Nostmo so wrong footed and out of her element. (It was also by far the most goals scored against the black and white in our time writing about the team). Again Blakstand and Utland delivered vital goals, but it wasn’t enough and Rosenborg will have to wait a year for a shot at the biggest stage in Europe.
Nueve de Octubre 2 – 2 Emelec [M]
It was definitely a point win for Los bombillos, who looked to be facing their second loss in 2021 Liga Pro (the last one also to Nueve). Down two goals and one player with ten minutes to go, Joao Rojas scored twice on a pair of…close…offsides calls. It was all they needed to salvage a point and keep them in 2nd place.
Ross County 2 – 4 Rangers
I try to be optimistic, but I really doubted County’s ability to keep up with Rangers. Granted, the didn’t really keep up, but they scored twice and weren’t played off their own field so…yeah, I guess…moral victory?
Rosenborg 5 – 0 Odd [M]
The troll boys handled Odd with ease, with Stefano Vecchia notching two goals, Verbjørn Hoff getting two assists and Emil Konradsen Ceide getting one of each. (That even leaves out Noah Holm’s blistering run to score) We hope they still feel fresh for the match with Rennes next week (maybe Vecchia and Ceide merit another runout together…just saying))
Montana Grizzlies 0 – 1 Portland Pilots
While the Pilots have a storied history, their recent past gave the Griz some hope, but it wasn’t to be as both back lines stood tough until a beauty of a curler beat blue haired Elizabeth Todd for a gorgeous winner. Again the Griz were tough against a high profile opponent, and Owen got to watch with me as Taylor Hansen flexed her leadership, Ava Samuelson showcased her fresh flair, and McKenzie Kilpatrick did our name proud.
News & Notes
Gre-NOOOOOOOOO-ble
The French side mired at the bottom of Ligue 2 in desperate need of some good news went and found the opposite this week by sending Charles Pickel to Portugal (immediately after his man of the match performance) and releasing captain and strong defender Jerome Mombris. The comments are a special blend of sports fan frustration and French ennui. We thank Charles and Jerome for their work, and would like to Jerome that Madagascar defenders [like his teammate/pal Romain Metanire] are welcome at Minnesota United…just saying…
The only goal in The Griz’s game this weekend was scored when we were vacuuming (well, I was vacuuming, Owen, you were running away and flopping on any soft surface you could find). The lesson is clear: never vacuum. [Another valuable lesson watching the game, be like the bros who rocked overalls, bare chests, and cowboy hats to a soccer game…that’s how we do soccer in the big MT]
Way to Advertise Women in Europe!
I knew there was some news about Rosenborg facing reigning European women’s champs Barcelona (they meet in a friendly Saturday), but in doing that research I uncovered an utterly unremarked upon entry in the local team history, namely that our favorite lady trolls vied for qualification in Europe this week. Some reviews and the kind public service provided by femfootball let us cover it, but a little too late.
Player of the Week
For 10 weeks, Emelec and Rosenborg have dominated the player of the week conversation. Even when other teams were in action their performances never quite measured up. This week there were great showings from all of Rosenborg and Joao Rojas. But there was also Nikola Vjunovic and Yoric Ravet bringing back some struggling sides. But we’ll go with Christian Gunter who both bottled up Dortmund darling Erling Haaland, delivered some delicious passes, and set a new Freiburg record for appearances en route to their win.
Standings Update
And for the first time in a long time, we have a new leader in the standings!! The pair of defeats dropped the Griz from the top to…well..very nearly the top, as Rosenborg was there to capitalize despite their own inconsistent week. It’s going to be a battle for the top as we enter the final four months of the campaign.
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Rosenborg BK
24
4
8
2.11
2.6
1.1
University of Montana
9
0
4
2.08
1.7
0.8
Emelec
21
9
10
1.8
1.6
1.2
Punjab FC–b
7
4
6
1.471
1.2
0.9
Freiburg
14
5
13
1.469
1.6
1.5
Minnesota United
7
7
6
1.40
1.1
1.2
Legon Cities–b
11
6
11
1.39
1.2
1.0
Grenoble Foot
11
8
11
1.37
1.1
1.2
Ross County
8
2
12
1.27
1.2
1.4
FK Vozdovac
8
6
11
1.20
1.0
1.6
Alebrijes
4
9
8
1.00
1.3
2.0
Table Updated 8/24/21 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Wednesday, August 25th
Thursday, August 26th
Rosenborg v. Rennes [M-Europe]
Cal Poly Mustangs v. Montana Grizzlies
Friday, August 27th
Hoffenheim v. Freiburg [F]
Saturday, August 28th
Stuttgart v. Freiburg [M]
FK Vozdovac v Kolubara
Sochaux v. Grenoble [M]
Houston v. Minnesota United
[Rosenborg v. Barcelona–F Friendly]
Sunday, August 29th
Aberdeen v. Ross County
Viking v. Rosenborg [M]
Emelec v. Olmedo
UDG v. Alebrijes
Montana Grizzlies v. Montana State University-Billings Yellow Jackets
An absolute thriller between the two Ligue 2 sides ended with penalties and the alpiners coming out victorious. Particular credit goes to goalie Esteban Salles who stopped three penalties in the nerve racking final minutes to pull out the match.
Freiburg 2 – 2 Frankfurt
In their first match at home of the week, Freiburg looked by far the better side, with Ermedin Demirovic continuing to grow in his performance with a perfectly weighted assist to Rolland Sallai on a pitch-perfect run. Nico Schlotterback’s late own goal robbed the Griffins of full credit.
Legon Cities FC 5 – 2 Ashanti Gold
Well, that was a heck of a thing. The Royals busted out of their funk in a big old way with a bonanza of goals. The much needed win saw them finally lift off from the foot of the table. Nasiru Moro’s opening screamer was a huge boon, with Jonah Atttuquaye leading the charge and David Cudjoe getting a brace within seven minutes. Still no sign of Asamoah Gyan…I’m feeling a little foolish that the three year old’s analysis was brilliantly prescient, and I was too credulous.
Freiburg 2 – 1 VfB Stuttgart [M]
It started out shakily for Frieburg, but much like this season, as Florian Muller grew into the game, Freiburg’s fortunes improved. There’s plenty to say, as ever, about Vincenzo Grifo and Ermedin Dimrovic’s growing partnership (and even more to say about Dimirovic’s stellar back heel assist on the second goal), but it was perhaps most heartening to see Nico Schlotterback come right back from his horror show outing on Wednesday with a sterling performance in defense.
Rangers 5 – 0 Ross County
This is more what we expected after last week’s shocker.
Grenoble 2 – 0 Chambly [M]
Yoric Ravet made it two wins on the week for Grenoble off a great free kick. Equally impressive was Jerome Mombris’ goal-line save to block Chambly’s best shot. A double win on the week sees Grenoble closer to the Cup and closer to promotion.
Punjab FC 0 – 0 Mohammedan SC
And that happened…[seriously, I don’t have anything to say about 0-0 draws]. For a better summary and much more humor, take a look at Yuvraj Gurang’s summary in which the word “shithousery” is used with aplomb. (Note to the children I’m writing this for: shithousery is a valuable word, but please, use it sparingly in polite conversation)
News & Notes
Highland Derby Delayed
There was plenty of excitement at the chance for a Ross County v. Inverness Caledonian Thistle game in round three of the Scottish Cup. But ICT still has to play their second round match against Buckie Thistle, and no games are happening in Scotland for teams below the top two tiers. So it’ll be a little time to wait and see what’s next before the battle for the heights of the highlands.
Grenoble Gears up for a big one
One final note on the Grenoble Cup victory last week. The triumph has to be tempered by the knowledge that their next opponent will be Ligue 1 Titans and tumultuous team of the south: AS Monaco. A surprise win there might be enough to see les Grenobloises on to later rounds and a sense of belonging in the top tier of French football. A defeat is much more likely.
Loons Out of the Nest
Unlike most other places in the world, where coaches and teams recruit like crazy to bring in the best young talent, or scout heavily to pick out gems from other parts of the country, the United States prefers to take our amateurs and give them a grand coming out party in a Draft. This year, despite COVID cancellations of the soccer season in college, Minnesota United and the other American sides picked up a few more talented teens. This year’s crop includes midfielder Justin McMaster of Jamaica/Wake Forest, and defenders Nabili Kibunguchy of UC Davis, and Sean O’Hearn of Georgetown University.
When you are a team leader you step up when things are tough. When you step up with a goal and a crucial defensive save WHILE being the leader, you get Player of the Week honors from a random guy in Minnesota talking to his kids. That’s right Jerome Mombris, it’s all about you!
Standings Update
A big win leads to a big big boost for Legon Cities as the Royals vault up to 2nd place. Meanwhile Punjab’s goalless draw leads them to stall out and slip down the stats.
The Corona-Virus remains unbeaten against athletic competitions around the world. Really, if they can beat the Olympics, what chance does Ecuador’s women’s league have
We’re getting so hungry for competition that several leagues have organized video game competitions between teams. I for one only hope someone writes a hot tale about how these games should count to the final table.
News & Notes
How does all thisend?
Not the disease mind, but rather the various leagues going on a month of hiatus? Here’s a brief update on every league we follow.
In Europe, each country has their own plan. Germany wants to come back in just about 2 weeks to play at empty stadia, but with the government urging against gatherings of more than 2 people, that seems implausible. France’s similar strategy starting in six weeks may be more viable. Serbia and Norway are quietly waiting to see, and Scotland well…
Scotland has a right mess on its hands, with teams voting to continue or terminate their seasons under strange circumstances. Almost every team turned in a vote on that proposal over a week ago.
Every team except Dundee United who voted no, then said they weren’t sure and since no one had said “no take-backsies” they could change their mind. Naturally the teams on the verge of relegation were livid, those who won titles, far less so.
Elsewhere, Ecuador can afford to wait it out; however, Ghana is fretting about losing vital money for the newly restarted league; with the title decided, it only makes sense for India to wrap up now; Liga MX cancelled the Acenso spring season and ended promotion for five years…so Alebrijes is thoroughly hosed (and their fans are…not happy about it)
Here in the US, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced that the only way any sports would return this summer was without fans. That’s not an issue for the fall season Lady Griz, but could be a problem for the summer season MLS. Rather than mirror Germany and France, Minnesota United might be bound for a neutral site (say: LA) to live and train and play in front of empty stadiums so the athletes can be contained. How exactly television crews are allowed (or not) to cover the games has yet to be seen.
Man of the Matches
Another entry in the increasingly enjoyable world of e-sport substitution is the “Bundesliga At Home Challenge”
Each team is setting one regular team player and one e-sports player to battle against their league rivals. Sadly for Freiburg, they have no e-sports team and are instead sending two players out. Nico Schlotterbeck and Mark Flekken took care of business this weekend with wins against VfB Stuttgart’s players.
Debate whether I can work and watch Sunderland Til I Die simultaneously. Continue until realizing mid-student phone call that watching a show that inspires me to adopt a Jordie accent probably isn’t good for instruction.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 